The garden is laid out in divisions, in which the plants, shrubs, and trees, are arranged systematically. On the south side of the garden, facing the Thames, formerly stood two large cedars of Lebanon. Lysons says, that Sir Joseph Banks made an accurate admeasurement of these trees, in 1793, and found the girth of the larger to be twelve feet eleven inches and a half, that of the smaller twelve feet and half an inch. Upon being measured again, in 1809, they had increased twelve inches in girth since 1793. There is now only one of these trees.
Mr. Philip Miller resided many years in the house at the garden, and rendered himself particularly distinguished by his botanical works. He succeeded to the office of curator of this establishment in 1722, and resigned a little before his decease, which took place in 1771. He was buried in Chelsea churchyard, where a monument has been since erected to his memory by the Fellows of the Linnean and Horticultural Societies of London. He was succeeded in the management of the garden by his pupil, Mr. Forsyth, who, in 1784, was appointed chief superintendent of the Royal Gardens at Kensington, which he held till his death in 1804. Mr. Anderson was subsequently curator, and Mr. Wheeler demonstrator.
Having thus endeavoured to give a brief sketch of the rise and progress of this establishment, it only remains to mention a few particulars in reference to its present condition.
Within the last twenty-five years the garden has been in a great measure remodelled, and in consequence has become better adapted to the purpose for which it is maintained, namely, the instruction of medical students. Several of the old hot-houses and greenhouses have been removed, and new ones erected in their place; new arrangements of medicinal plants have been formed; and groups representing the natural orders of plants have been brought together to facilitate their study. Formerly two cedars of Lebanon, some of the first planted in England, were conspicuous objects from the river, but in 1853 one of these, which had become much decayed, was blown down, the other still remains, but is gradually decaying, being not only injuriously affected by the smoke of London, but like all the other large trees in the garden, more or less damaged by the deprivation of water caused by the construction of the deep sewer in the Queen’s Road. A fine specimen of a rare tree, the Salisburia adiantifolia, the Ginkgo of Japan, with leaves resembling those of the Maidenhair Fern in form, may be seen towering above the wall in the Queen’s Road. The alterations in this garden were commenced in 1846 by Mr. Robt. Fortune, the Chinese traveller, who was succeeded, in 1848, by Mr. Thomas Moore, the present Curator.